In the 21st century of the Spartans Enrichment Program, Mayo High School is offering students the chance to learn about woodworking and carpentry skills through a class called Spartan Woodshop. 

Those who attend get to make things, build, and craft with their hands while learning about carpentry tools. Students work with different types of wood including maple, cherry, ash, and walnut. Everyone receives instruction on how to safely operate different pieces of machinery and tools that help create professional-level wood products to your liking and the standards of the program.

At Mayo High School, David Vielhaber takes measurements while working with the CNC machine. Photo Credit: Mr. Brock Fox

Led by Mr. Brock Fox, who is also in charge of all the Industrial Technology courses at Mayo, the atmosphere is fun and engaging. People are happy to be there, to learn, create, and develop their skills. It is very hands-on, so the room is always very active, where you hear machines cutting, spinning, and whirring at all times. There are plenty of things going on around different machines, as members of the class work on their projects. 

Senior Addison Olson attends Spartan Woodshop for one of her elective classes and enjoys it a great deal. Olson emphasized its self-paced nature, particularly in working on individual projects. She also had fun learning how to use the carpentry tools like the sander and the router, citing their ease of use as a key aspect of her enjoyment. For Olson, the values instilled through the woodshop experience teach people the importance of patience, precision, and attention to detail. She notes that these things not only have relevance within the workshop but also in broader contexts throughout life, improving one’s sense of responsibility and craftsmanship.

Finishing one of the required projects, Cyprus Phutseevong creates a welcome sign with extra wood. Photo Credit: Mr. Brock Fox

Freshman Alex Saucedo emphasized Spartan Woodshop’s impact on his construction job outside of school. “Being able to build is one of the factors that stands out [for] both working in school [and] towards being out of school,” he said. Saucedo highlighted the value of this elective for those interested in building and technical work; clearly it is a worthwhile endeavor.

Spartan Woodshop has helped with GOFA throughout the past couple of years, including last winter, as members were selling engraved ornaments during that fundraiser. 

Spartan Woodshop is the class that every student should attend. It is very self paced and one of the classes that you can earn a 0.5 high school credit from. Located in room 1-117 close to Door 5, the class takes place during 1st and 3rd hours each day. If you have any questions about the program, email Mr. Fox at [email protected] for more information.